Mixing apparatus



J. D. ALLEN MIXING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed April 27, 1946 I0.FIG.|.

John D.A|len INVENTOR. M [7% ATTORNEY arch 14, 1950 J, ALLEN 2,50%,394

MIXING APPARATUS Fild April 27, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 John D. AllenINVENTOR.

ATTQRNE Y Patented Mar. 14, 195% STATES ()FFlCE MIXING APPARATUScorporation of Michigan Application April 27, 1946, Serial No. 665,499

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to mixing apparatus for fluids, and moreparticularly to agitators for mixing fluids.

The principal object or" the present invention is to provide an agitatorfor fluids in which the rate of agitation can be closely regulated fromno agitation to the maximum agitation determined by the power of thedriving means for the agitator.

Another object of the invention is to provide an agitator in which therate of agitation is controlled by valving the flu d rather than byregulating the speed of the agitator prime mover.

Another object is to provide a novel agitator which will provide rapidcirculation of the fluid without splashing or foaming.

These objects, and others ancillary thereto, will more fully appear inthe following specification when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a fluid mixing apparatus embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus, approximately halfof the tank wall being broken away to show the interior thereof; and

Figure 3 is a crosssectional View taken through the axis of theagitator.

The mixer shown in the drawings constitutes a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, but it will be understood, as the description proceeds,that the invention is susceptible of a wide variation in the forms whichit may take.

The invention is shown as applied to a fluid container in the form of atank it supported on suitable legs H. a conduit l2 by which the contentsof the tank may be drawn off.

Within the tank and near the bottom thereof, is an agitating mechanism.In general the agitating mechanism comprises an impeller it, and ahousing consisting of upper and lower relatively movable parts it andi5. The impeller is driven by a motor l6 located exteriorly of the tank,as will more fully appear presently.

The impeller is a flat plate ll of circular form on one side of whichare mounted a plurality of upstanding angularly spaced vanes or bladesl8. In the present instance the vanes are of angular cross-section butit is obvious that they may take other forms. The plate ii is centrallyapertured to receive a hub l9 which is fixedly attached to the plate.The hub is rotates within a sleeve 20 which in turn is rotatably mountedin a bearing 2i fixedly secured in an opening in the bot tom of the tankW.

A drive shaft 22 is keyed or otherwise secured to the hub E9 in drivingengagement therewith.

The tank is provided with The lower end of the shaft 22 rotates in ahearing in a bracket 23 mounted beneath the tank. A pulley 24 is securedto the lower end of the shaft 22, and the pulley is driven from themotor it by a belt 25. By suitably mounting the motor, the drivetherefrom may be direct, rather than by means of a belt.

As above mentioned, the housing for the impeller comprises generally anupper part M and a lower part l5. The upper part it consists of anintake end wall 28 of slightly greater diameter than the impeller l3,and a peripheral flange 21 of somewhat greater axial extent than that ofthe impeller. A relatively large central opening 28 is cut in the intakeend wall 26.

A circular balile plate 29 is mounted over the opening 28 in spacedrelation to wall 25, by means of brackets 30.

On two opposite sides of the upper part it of the housing are guidebrackets 3i. The guide brackets have openings 32 therein which receive apair of guide posts 33. The latter are secured to the bottom of the tankin any suitable manner. The guide brackets 3i and guide posts 33 preventrotation of the upper part of the housing, while permitting movementthereof axially ol the impeller I3.

The lower part [5 of the housing consists of a flat plate apertured atits center to receive the sleeve 28, heretofore mentioned. The part I5is fixedly secured to the sleeve and rotates therewith, as will appearpresently. The diameter of the lower part is somewhat greater than thatof the upper part I l.

Two slotted cam members 34 and 340, are fixedly secured to the part 45of the housing at radially opposite edges thereof. Cam member 34a has asingle inclined slot 35a, while cam member 3 is formed to provide twoinclined, parallel slots 35 which extend from points adjacent the partit upwardly a substantial distance. Cam followers 3'6 and 36a in theform of cylindrical pins are secured to the flange 2'! of the upper partof the housing and are received in the slots 35 and 3511.

A handle 31 for rotating the part l5 of the housing is mounted beneaththe tank. The handle 31 is provided at one end with an opening whichreceives the lower end of the sleeve 20, as shown in Figure 3. The edgeof the opening is provided with notches 20 (Figure l), which receivedepending lugs 38 (Figures 2 and 3) so that angular movement of thehandle 3? will produce rotation of the sleeve.

The handle 37 is supported by suitable brackets 39 and 48. The latter isprovided with a series of openings 4| which cooperate with a pin 42 by aa means of which the handle may be fastened in any predeterminedposition.

When the tank ill is filled with liquid to a level above the top of theupper part M of the housing of the impeller, and the motor is started,the impeller will drive the liquid that fills the space between thevanes 48 radially outwardly toward the sides of the tank where it willbe deflected upwardly (for the most part) and downwardly. Liquid will bedrawn from the upper part of the tank, through the intake opening 28 inthehousing, into the impeller to replace that diecharged by theimpeller. Thus, a continual circulation of fluid throughout the tankwill be achieved.

When the parts of the agitator are in the positions shown in Figures 2and 3 the rate of agitation will be at its maximum, and will be limitedonly by the power of the motor is and by the volume of liquid which canescape between parts it and i5 of the housing. The rate of agitation maybe reduced, however, by moving the handle 3'5 from its full lineposition in Figure 1 toward its dotted line position. Rotation of handle3? in that manner imparts a corresponding rotation of lower part of thehousing and cams 34, wh ch pulls the cam followers 36 35a and the upperpart it of the housing downward toward the lower part. The part M cannotrotate because such movement is prevented by guide brackets and guideposts 33. Thus, when the part M is forced downward, the space betweenpart if: and the flange 2'! is reduced, thereby reducing the volume offluid which escapes from the impeller. If the part M is moved downwardinto contact with part l5, agitation of fluid is completely stopped,except for that very small quantity of flu d trapped within the housing.

Thus it will be seen that the resent invention furnishes an agitator inwhich the rate of agitation of the fluid in the tank can be eas lyregulated. The motor can, of course, be of the relatively inexpensiveconstant speed tyne. The manner in which the fluid circulates eliminatessplashing and foaming of the fluids in the tank. The invention can beemployed with any shape of tank.

The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mixer for fluids comprising a fluid container. said containerhaving an opening in a wall thereof, an agitator in said contain-er,said agitator comprising a rotary impeller afiixed to a shaft extendingthrough said opening. a housing for said agitator, said housingincluding a first wall comprising a centrally apertured radial platepositioned adjacent the intake side of said impeller an annular flangesurrounding the periphery of said impeller, a second wall comprising a.radial plate positioned on the side of said impeller opposite said firstwall and having a portion surrounding said shaft and projecting throughthe opening in the container, said second wall being rotatable andaxially movable relative to said first wall, means connecting said wallswhereby relative rotation thereof causes relative axial movementthereof, and means outside of said container connected to said portionof said second wall for rotating the latter.

2. A mixer as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for causing relativemovement of said walls comprises slotted cam on one wall and a camfollower on the other wall positioned in said slot.

3. A fluid agitator comprising a rotary impeller and a housing therefor,said housing comprising an intake and wall and a discharge end wallextending radially of said impeller at axially opposite ends thereof,said intake wall having an axial opening therein, a continuouscircumferential wall surrounding the periphery of said impeller andsecured to said intake wall, said circumferential wall normally beingspaced from said discharge end wall and movable axially relativethereto, and means for moving said last named two walls to close andopen the space ltherebetween, said means comprising rotary cam means onsaid circumferential and discharge end walls.

4. A fluid agitator comprising a rotary impeller and a housing therefor,said housing comprising an intake end wall and a discharge end wallextending radially of said impeller at axially opposite ends thereof,said intake wall having an axial opening therein, a continuouscircumferential wall surrounding the periphery of said impeller andsecured to said intake wall, said circumferential wall normally beingspaced from said discharge end wall and movable axially relativethereto, and means for moving said last named two walls to close andopen the space therebetween, said means comprising rotatable slottedcams on one of said last named two walls and cam followers on the otherof said last named two walls located in said slots, one of said wallsbeing movable angularly relative to the other wall.

5. A mixer for fluids comprising a fluid con tainer, an agitatortherein, said agitator comprising a rotary impeller and a housingtherefor, said housing comprising a first wall including a radialcentrally apertured plate positioned adjacent the intake side of theimpeller and an annular flange surrounding the periphery of saidimpeller, a second wall paralleling said plate and arranged on theaxially opposite side of the im peller, means connecting said wallstogether for movement relative to each other in a direction axially ofeach other, and means comprising cam members connected to said walls forimparting such axial movement to said walls.

6. A mixer for fluids comprising a fluid container, an agitator therein,said agitator comprising a rotary impeller and a housing therefor, saidhousing comprising a first wall including a radial centrally aperturedplate positioned adjacent the intake side of the impeller and an annularflange surrounding the periphery of said impeller, a second wallparalleling said plate and arranged on the axially opposite side of theimpeller, means connecting said walls together for movement relative toeach other in a direction axially of each other, and means for impartingsuch relative axial movement to said we ls, said last named meanscomprising a slotted ca member attached to one wall and a cam follctweron the other wall received in said slot, one of said walls beingrotatable and axially movable relative to the other wall.

JOHN D. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 376,626 Belton Jan. 17, 18881,742,226 Thllll'll et a1 Jan. 7, 1930 2,250,314 Rocke July 22, 1941

